Paul Oakly

Praise God again! This is a real good tune.
Thank-you for always keeping me, your love is amazing, your faithfulness truly reaches the heavens. Keep me God in your way,keep me close to you,
Thank-you Jesus.

My Redeemer Lives

Nothing will ever beat a life with God, where else can your spirit be lifted up. God still raises those who are low. Bless God, thank-you Jesus!

Father's day

 

I had a great fathers day! Thanks kids. This is actually a pic from last year, same day though.

Matt Redman and Hillsong

There are so many awesome singers out there and so many wonderful songs. I encourage you to enjoy yourself as you listen or sing along to this song, I would prefer the latter; as it takes the focus off us and we can then reach out. Pray as you sing, pray during the song, pray after the song, reach out to our help in time of need, he is forever faithful. God bless!

Sacrosanct

The Foundation

Native protest, what the heck is the beef? Living in the lap of luxury will never allow you to identify with those less fortunate. One face or side of Canada is about the riches amassed and the progress that is taking place, the darker side of Canada (which by-the-way is never openly admitted) is its relationship with its Native people. Unfortunately the (native) reality is always marginalized, always segregated to places in the hither land: It is covered up, opposed and treated like an isolated incident. Put in the context of Canadian life it is often a minor issue; but if it is the major reality of native people, then in that case it must be addressed. If native people are kept helplessly dependant, than the umbilical cord must be cut to create an independence: This dysfunctional relationship, needs a healthy dose of liberty. No governing body can function at its full capacity, unless they become the driver. This whole political domination, is anachronistic, it has outlived its purpose. The more you hold down a people the more they want to be independent. Native people have tried to fit into Canadian society, but they have been opposed, and treated like they are nothing more than outsiders. What, I ask, is the alternative but to make your own environment to stand up and make a statement? Native people are the foundation on which this country was built; you cannot separate Natives from Canada. They have to be given their rightful place, and allowed to prosper; they should never be treated like a threat. All such thoughts and rhetoric have perpetuated the colonial way of domination; never was it about helping native people come to their full potential and to be a part of Canada, to be moreover the success story that grew from a barren land. Native people are the true pioneers that settled this country. They again are the foundation on which Canada was built. (Treaties attest to this truth)

A catch-22; protest and stay oppositional, which we should recognize that when we do protest we end up being a minority and quite frankly being in opposition further exacerbates our position, it makes us the disadvantaged people: Native people can either stay a minor issue, or they can pursue developments that will benefit them as a people. Hence, resources are the only alternatives to a brighter future.

If native people prospered, then we can say, as Canadians that we are all proud to live here. No other country has this opportunity.

Do you ever notice how some people fit in, they can learn the game and fit in that way, or they can take over and set new rules, it may work or you could be put out of the game completely. But playing the game does not mean you are true to the game. For one thing, people do not necessarily care about your life, especially if the game they are playing is giving them great dividends. In the end, you might fit in but chances are you will have to start a new group.

So Canada is unique, in that we have two nations who founded this country, it is the epitome of multiculturalism worldwide. Evidently the only way to function was to give a little independence to the lesser of the two, allow them to achieve some sort of independence. Sounds like a great country, but a third founding member has been overlooked. What is wrong with giving independence to another group? Is prosperity limited to the chosen few? Or could Canada become even better? Native people are just beginning to reach a potential that has once been denied.

Fittingly the protest started off at the First Nations University, and ended off at the Legislative Building; The reason being that our beginning is at the education level and the ending is at the political level.

And so the story goes as if done in din, it is not a lesson rather it is about a problem that is not addressed. It is becoming sacrosanct to question the plaguing injustice, the lack of moral fortitude that is often in the hands of the majority. Rather than seriously examine this daunting reality, it is hardening hearts, with no response calculable and it is a problem that is left to a new generation. To a new fire, a new breath of life, that sees the reality of today and looks to a better and brighter future.

Will Canadians ever awaken to see the injustice?

An Injustice to one is an injustice to all

This is a video on youtube, it depicts the growing unrest, but it is all done through peaceful measures.

New Heights

Every human being has the right to be free. Liberty is the right of every human being. No one can give you what is already yours. If people are hindering your freedom, than they are doing what is unnatural. It is not that people do not voluntarily give themselves, if anything that is the ultimate sacrifice when one does give up his freedom: In doing so they gain a new freedom.

If freedom cannot be taken, you cannot lose it to another. Just as man cannot take another mans freedom so likewise he cannot give you freedom. Freedom does not lie in man's ability. Associating oneself with another's freedom is the ultimate arrogance. If anything, it is the domination that you are incurring that needs to change. If we feel we are in a process of administrating freedom, we are in fact in a process of domination.

Native people are in that very circumstance, they are dominated and oppressed, and they have limited freedom. Only by another administrating freedom, can we gain greater independence. But yet natural law says otherwise, in that we should never be in a circumstance where we are without freedom.

Today the constant discontent is falling on hardened ground, on deaf ears. The dominators do not care to hear such a cry. Even if justice is still needed, it will not be heeded. If anything the discontent is becoming stale. The older generations and much of the middle aged are hard pressed to see things differently. Natives have been dominated since the inception of this country. Why change the status quo, today we are getting bitter and contentious verbiage, it seems that the plight of the native people is not altering opinion rather it is hardening hearts. What we need is a new wine skin, for a new way, maybe it will be the new generation who will not just blindly follow convention, maybe it will be them who move and shake mountains. Leaders have to come from the middle aged, and guide justice through the fevered youth. Canada is a great country, and great things are possible. Rather than see new possibilities we are grounded by indifference, justice must rise to meet the new heights that are possible. Can Canada be greater, truly, it will only come by those who are willing to soar.

Day of Recognition

Two things, Pittsburgh Penguins won, which is a surprise considering how they got slaughtered in the first two games. The point is how an environment clearly makes a difference to anyone’s success. Pittsburgh could not do anything when they played in Detroit, but when they went back to play in their home town things miraculously changed. Environment obviously changes things, and it does not matter who you are.
Now you take Native people and self-government, their greatest success might only come in their own environment. It is not about harming Canada; it is about giving people who have had little chance at success and giving them that opportunity to succeed. It’s a no-brainer, once again.
There was a march here in Regina, a protest for recognition. The relationship between the government and First Nations people and more specifcally how the government treats its First Nations people, was under question. It is sad that native people have to establish their voice, when it should have come uncontested especially living in a grand and free country. But the turn-out for this protest was something else, it seems the wheels are turning and we are not getting any further. Public indifference will play against any progress native people make. It’s like living two lives, the two faces of Canada, one says we are a rich and progressive country, that is getting richer; but the other face of Canada, says poverty and its undesired life is still intact for native people, Macleans magazine can attest to that. Who cares about the underprivileged when progress is in place? In that case the public will always act the way they always acted and that is to overlook natives for the country's all impending progress. Justice will never reside in Canada until it changes it relationship with its native people.
In the end, Canada is only just as good as its native people.

Our God is an Awesome God

Things may come and go, you might be down and even feel you are out, you might be strolling through tough times, hard things may be in your path, but there is always one thing we can do and that is praise God!

Catching up

Greetings
So I did it, I will graduate, this fall. Yahoo!
I haven't written in awhile, but my passion is still there. The last post had some interesting perspectives happening. I actually submitted this article to a local paper. It seems they can not create a negative angle, or they want to make me out to be the hash person. But it is kinda hard to be nice to any racist attitude out there. Racism is serious and no amount of kind words will ever deter such a henious way and therefore make that meaningful change. Politics is just as important when it comes to native people, it is the umbilical cord, so to speak, and so therefore it is very important as to what we are attached to.
Talk about polarities, racism is a harsh reality and politics is a positive initiative. So sometimes native reality is about the good, the bad and the ugly.
I am so beside myself, after listening to that radio program about how the chiefs wanted to reinstate Ahenekew, the point to me was how the public wanted to come in so quickly to dominate native people once again. The worst part was where the chiefs were called stupid, by the host. I would have thought there was a defamation suit on its way. All that did happen was the Chiefs were put on the defensive. Moreover, there was a young guy, just recently, that meet with an unfortunate circumstance, his children died in his care, and he is now being charged. (see: http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/index.html ) Half the community believe he shouldn't be charged, they think he will bare the consequences the rest of his life. But you see, folks often care deeply for their own people: That's a no-brainer.
If anything, outside judgments are often devoid of compassion. Native people in this particular case will often go gainst public opinion, which is nothing more than outside domination with no compassion. Native people must see that they will more than often, never be held highly for their opinion, it is convention, it is how things work.

Anyways thats my criticism for today, and I guess that is all for now.

Retribution

Amazingly, after all that controversy, all the negative press regarding natives, a show was on the radio about racism. It started off with the usual hub bub,the blatant scorges of racism. Cross burning was mentioned, the fountain thing, the signs that posted whites and the "other." Yeah yeah, I would have to go against the current on this one. It seems to me a lot is said about blatant racism. However given the fact that many people are pretty darn smart; I'm guessing few people are, today, openly and blatantly racist. In fact since racism is related to a deep attitude, it can be hidden quite easily. Thus racism is more often subversive. Racism is about domination, its about oppression. I'm also thinking in terms of racism that a minority cannot do as much damage as someone from the majority when it come to slurs and derogatory comments. Thus we can also conclude racism is about power. The more a person has, the more his opressive and dominating words will inflict the greater damage. Racism is about an attitude, we might alter our outward appearances, but we could still have those festering attitudes. Just because you have a few friends that are not like you, doesnt necessarily mean you are without predjudice. At least we can say interacting is a good start. Lastly we have made a conjecture that racism lies in forced segregation. Yet simply chosing to segregate, is just as bad if not worse. Any segregation opens the door to the inability to socialize with those that are not like us. If anyone is anti-social it has to be those who are segregated. Segregation is going against some of our more recent developments. Multiculturalism and intercultural relations have a better chance of creating a common good for all people. It is a larger theory, and greater than domination and homogenizing the masses. Just knowing that Canada's landscape is changing, to where the aboriginal population is the fastest growing segment in our society: And there are some 1/4 of a million biracial marriges. Need I mention that only 18 percent of our people call themselves Canadians, all the rest of Canada is broken up into ethnic groups. Canada is certainly going multicultural bigtime. We can hold to the old ways or we can change for the better. I think if a person contiues to make racial remarks or pushes the race thing they are treading on thin ice. It is time to reconsider past cultural indiscretions and move with the times.

Talk show hosts, Ahenakew, and Saskatchewan politics

More things to say....
This controversy (the Ahenakew debacle) is doing more harm, and it is discouraging that people cannot see this. Like I said it is too bad if anything it is more related to one person who is offended at some past things. This talk show host obviously cannot see past his bitterness. Now native people have to reap the havoc, and they have to be disciplined. To me it is about that hegemony that is so deeply ingrained in Canadian politics. Just the response from everyone other than natives themselves is a prime example. It has been said, “take away the funding,” I even think people have gone as far as making derogatory remarks about the chiefs; this is certainly getting out of hand. At some point there has to be some respect for native people particularly how they want to deal with things. Now after positioning himself in derogatory sentiments, there is no turning back, no means of retracting such statements: The damage is done and until a public apology is given for instigating spite against our First Nations people or we will continue to roll in Saskatchewan’s argil. Lastly, I still firmly believe that good things await native people: And that they will be up and reaching new heights, and justice will surely reign.

A National Day

It seems to me it is not just about having a voice as it is, being able to dictate ones direction. Clearly native people are overly burdened by specifically what mainstream thinks of them, and this has lots to do with how they moreover function. If they are treated like children; who are unable to be responsible for themselves, then how could they achieve any sucess? This whole historical thing about how they were unable to function properly, and then dictate how they operate is a far cry from "good governance." The recent issue of Ahenakew is a prime example of mainstream coming in and dictating how they should deal with things. It is certainly hard for most people in mainstream to see that the native side in particular that their latest initiative is about forgiveness. (The Ahenakew case)
If anyone is oppressed in society, it is the native people. You have to have some form of political ability to be able to make a statement that is far reaching and somewhat effective; plainly said, native peoples attitudes and opinions are very different from say the majority. I would think quite obviously that the majority's voice will do more damage in the negative sense, and as a result there is no reverse discrimination or hypocracy when it come to oppressed people having an opinion, in fact if anything it is all about hegemony in action via the majority. And quite certainly using equality to bully an opinion onto a minority is wrong. This whole circumstance is about the age old story of native bashing in mainstream, why don't people just put together a national day of native bashing and get it over with, since it is still a cultural thing. Where are the good down-to-home people who will stand up for an already oprressed people. Justice is never advanced by discrimination, be it ever so subversive. Native people have to develop some political authority or they will always succumb to an opinion that does not resinate with them. Natives have to stick together, and maybe one day, they will see justice rise up; and moreover there will be a lifting up society's down-trodden.

An old article

This is a old article I dug up, it is not related to my former article. IT was written in 2005 and is still relevant today.


Native Voice

What made me question our (Native)voice was when I tried entering a native
site, redwiremag.com/
What happened was, that a message popped up and said this site had
questionable material. I read articles here before and it seemed your usual
conventional blab of how it was for natives. How could this site have
questionable material? But isn't that how the government treated
natives for years, denied them a voice; and censored them.

However, after writing all that in my last post, you may ask, is
there any just elaborations necessary. Clearly if we are concerned
for people and we love our country, I believe that it is not only
necessary, it is imperative.

Going beyond the usual partisan politics of where only one side is
presented, and being too judgemental, I think we do need some balance
with the last post.

I think it is not fair not to recognize all that is happening with
natives today. Today we have many more programs initiated by the
government. And we have a Governor General who identifies with those
in our circumstance. Therefore due respect must be given to our
government's efforts and initiatives.

But if people are to examine or consider the native plight they must
clearly note the frustration of living in circumstances mentioned
previously and most of all being unable to have a voice, which sadly
has gone on for years.

Therefore it is not good to just adhere to one view, nor is it good
to be too judgmental when it comes to how things are for native
people. Being judgemental is being absolute. Many people are offended
at native people and their struggles, they feel they should pull
themselves up. They continuely feel we are a drain, it all sounds
true but little effort is made to know natives and their true
circumstances.

One person, even went as far as saying we had a perpetual-victim
syndrom. But I believe if that person knew the real circumstances of
natives, he would never be quick to say such a thing, nor would he ever be justified.

Thus, we shall always be opposed, by some people, and no amount of
debate will convince them otherwise.

Regardless of where you position yourself, we have to consider all
sides, all views and opinions.

Our youth, must have a rounded and whole interpretation of where we
are. It is not good to get them into partisan politics, nor is it
good to have them end up thinking that Canada must be judged for how it often
deals with Native people. Clearly Canada must be big enough: At least just enough to deal with our true reality.

CMax

The Great White North

Being a Native blogger is pretty tricky, you have the controversial things, like racism, good old politics, other social issues. Audiences can vary, but it is trying to get your thoughts down no matter how unrefined they are.
Historically, native people had a pretty good system of governance; their small communities were quite suited for that direct democracy if anything. So unique was it (Democracy by Natives) that it was studied by the new-comers. It is hard to even think that native people were the savages of days gone past, they certainly possessed rational logistic ways, things such as dealing with an issue was a long drawn out affair, they were so deliberative. It may have taken days and days, weeks, even months. Yet sadly some of our precious treaties were completed in a day. We are all treaty people, (that is old news to some) because this country was made on them.
Any government needs a land base and resources to develop, people need to take the helm; to be noless autonomous over their own affairs. Why our people are so controlled, in this day and age, by the Indian Act, and even why they have no resources and land base, is also so unacceptable. Yet even though this is so true, it continues on, with no remission in sight. Paternalism though a very shallow excuse to control the native circumstance has done more harm to the impoverished than any other thing. Even though we are a federal responsibility, and the government had jurisdiction over Indians and reserves, it, this system is a far cry from "good governance." How long will the truth and the responsibility of the government be dealt with more appropriately? Is it ever going to take place? It is one thing playing political games (bureaucracy) with the well off yet it is another thing playing with the lives of the most disadvantaged! We have heard of paternalism, and even know that domination is the essence of colonialism, so when are we going to move into the new era of citizenship that will lift up the lost Canadians? The rabble is being stirred, and it is not about vengeance but about seeing justice reigning supremely. That once again, the political authority of days gone past will come to roost and the last great warriors of the plains will mount up and battle the beasts. Truth will be heard, the days of ignorance are coming to an end. If all men are born free and it is their right to be autonomous then why, why I ask, are the most disadvantaged left to struggle in a time and land that is beheld in high esteem? If we are to be that esteemed country, then let us give those in need the rights they need to prosper.

Because of His love - Paul Balouche

Another good day on the horizon, bless God!

God is so faithful, always there despite, how can we not be honest with him. He is so worthy of our praises, such a small thing compared to who he is. Have a good day.

Hillsong - One Way

Its always good getting that focus, this is one of the best songs ever. God Bless!

Segregated communities

So I went on a small trip this weekend back to my First Nation, and I did some visiting, encouraging, a little bit of politiking. Yet if that did not fill my weekend, it ended off where I actually ran into some conventional attitudes. It is funny how segregated communities are the worst for initiating bias. And of course segregating has a way of producing a pathology that is nothing more than anti-social behavior. Of course it is one thing to to live in a community that has great initiatives for intercultural relationships, but yet it is still part and parcel to our province that other communities particularily here in Saskatchewan are just backwards when it comes to other people. How is that a person can go into a community, and feel that they do not belong, especially in a public place. It seems to me it is all related to cultural learning, at that: and that even though racism is wrong it certainly has its places where it is still predominant. This is 2008 and you would think this segregating would have outgrown its pervasiveness.
Egad! I mean it is not those who are forced into segregation, that are socially problematic but it is people who feel they have to live away from anybody that is different. I sure hope people will not put their head in the sand, and will hear that their way is indeed, itself problematic. Thank goodness we have become more civilized, and can actually bring peace and understanding to places that need to know there is a world beyond our own segregated communities. I would rather see people that know how to interact with others running our country, rather than people who have a closet full of questionable cultural hang-ups. We can never change those differences but we can certainly interact despite how others act.

Speaking of Rocks

It is so strange, when I first heard this group, I was thinking they were a little too rocky (as in Rock style) for me, I guess I had my reservation (that's a Native joke). Anyways, I thought I would just move on, I sure liked the music and all: Then it so happened I read this scripture, that said, "He who brings an offering of praise and thankgiving honors and glorifies me." I was thinking that this was only a thought deep within me, and here God answered me. Today, its all about praising God and focusing on him; "If I be lifted up.....
God bless, agin.

Lucky Man, just plain lucky

We have to the most blessed on the earth. We have been taught to praise, and not only that but God gives us his word. Ecclesiastes says, "Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better and gains gladness." There is a gain in sadness, and it is to know joy and happiness, to receive oil instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened and failing spirit." Bless God and Glory to his name! It seems that those who possess a little wisdom have many burdens, but praise God he carries our burdens. May God bless you this day.